A vegan diet is one where any kind of meat, as well as products that are derived from animal sources, such as eggs, dairy products and even milk, is completely removed from the palate. There are multiple reasons why you might choose to go vegan, but there ought to be a focus in making sure your child eats the right vegetables and grains to gain the right nutrition. By making various vegan dishes for kids, you can take a strategic step towards cultivating a taste for those food items in your little one, as well as discover new ways to cook unique dishes.

Is Vegan Diet Safe for Children?

Absolutely. Certain doctors even suggest that adhering to a vegan diet for longer durations is quite beneficial for many kids.

The consumption of vitamins and minerals barely takes a hit when a child’s diet is focused on vegetables, fruits, and grains. Compared to other children, the nutrient proportion is much higher in such kids, with a larger proportion of fibre as well, all of which supports a healthy development internally and externally. With good eating habits set early in life, these begin to manifest later on in creating a good pattern of food consumption, and fewer health issues. Furthermore, even if your child opts to change from strictly vegan to begin including meat and other food items in his diet, the initial foundation and the eating habits will instill within him a recognition of maintaining healthy food choices, throughout his life.

Vegan Breakfast Recipe Ideas for Kids

Nothing like kicking off the day with a nutritious breakfast that is easy to digest, full of energy as well as healthy all around.

1. Brown Rice Cereal

Although rice might be generally considered as an option for the main course, this preparation with brown rice and added ingredients make for a great breakfast.

Ingredients

Cooked brown rice

Soy milk

Cinnamon

Various dried nuts

Raisins

Chopped walnuts

Salt

Maple syrup

How To Prepare

Take a large pan and all the ingredients to it together.

Place the pan on a medium flame and let it cook well. Stir the rice intermittently, making sure it absorbs all the fluids that are present on the pan.

If you prefer a little homogeneity to it, feel free to add more milk to the pan, ensuring all the dried nuts soak it up as well.

Once done, put out the flame and serve the rice in a dish or a bowl.

2. Banana Pudding

Pudding for breakfast? You heard it right. It doesn’t have to be just a dessert if it can provide the right kind of nutrition, too.

Ingredients

Banana

Vanilla rice milk

Coconut oil

Cocoa powder

Vanilla essence

Flax seeds

How To Prepare

Peel the banana and chop it into pieces in a bowl. Mash the banana properly inside it.

Add flax seeds to the bowl and mash it all together again.

Follow it up with some cocoa powder and vanilla essence and mix it all well.

Now pour coconut oil and add rice milk to it. Stir it all properly to form the pudding.

3. Scrambled Vegan Eggs

Prove the naysayers wrong by making your own scrambled eggs without using a single egg.

Ingredients

Olive oil

Lemon juice

Soy sauce

Tofu

Spinach

Mushrooms

Garlic

Tomatoes

Salt

Pepper

How To Prepare

Take a pan and add olive oil to it. Now, heat the pan on a medium flame and add mushrooms, garlic and tomatoes to it. Saute them for a few minutes.

Reduce the flame and follow up by adding lemon juice, soy sauce, tofu and spinach. Make sure the tofu is crumbled.

Cover the pan and let it cook for about 5 minutes. Keep stirring the mixture occasionally.

Once cooked, take it out on a plate and garnish with salt and pepper.

4. Vegan French Toast

While others might prefer their French toast with a side of eggs, you can make yours without one and even tastier.

Prepare the oven by heating it to 180 degrees. Gently coat the baking dish with oil and keep it ready.

Take a bowl and add together raisins, cinnamon, baking powder, oats, sugar and salt and mix it well. Follow it up with the remaining ingredients and stir it properly.

Pour this mixture in the baking dish and let it sit in the oven for about half an hour before serving.

Vegan Lunch Recipe Ideas For Kids

Some fantastic lunch recipes for your little one that can not only be enjoyed at home but can be packed in his tiffin as well.

1. Whole-Wheat Noodles

Not only are these a healthy alternative over traditional noodles, this recipe packs a punch when it comes to nutrition as well.

Ingredients

Whole-wheat spaghetti

Sesame seeds

Red pepper

Peas

Coriander

Lime juice

Sesame oil

Soy sauce

How To Prepare

Take a large pot and add water to it. Let it start boiling. Then, add the spaghetti to it and let it cook for about 10 minutes until it starts getting soft. Drain them and wash it under cold water.

In another bowl, put together coriander, red pepper, lime juice, sesame oil and soy sauce and whisk it all properly. Add the noodles to this bowl along with peas and mix them or toss them so that they are all mixed properly.

Serve along with some coriander and sesame seeds garnished atop it.

2. Smoked Tofu And Rice Salad

Sounds delicious, doesn’t it? Well, it tastes delicious too and is just as nutritious for your child.

Ingredients

Mint

Coriander

Cucumber

Tomatoes

Yellow pepper

Smoked tofu

Garlic

Olive oil

Lemon juice

Brown rice

Salt

Water

How To Prepare

Take a large pan and add water to it with some salt. Let it start boiling and then add the brown rice to it. Reduce the flame, cover the pan, and allow it to cook for about 20 minutes. Let it cool after that.

In a separate bowl, add together salt and pepper, garlic, olive oil, and lemon juice together and mix it well. Then, put in the cooled down rice, mint, coriander, cucumber, tomatoes, pepper and tofu and toss or mix it properly. Serve immediately.

3. Lentil And Rice Salad

Whether using leftovers or making it afresh, you can turn this small dish into a fitting lunch quite easily.

Ingredients

Coriander

Carrot

Lentils

Brown rice

Ground pepper

Salt

Mustard

Vinegar

Olive oil

How To Prepare

Take a large bowl and add together pepper, salt, mustard, vinegar, and olive oil. Mix it well and then follow it up with coriander, carrots, lentils and rice. Stir it properly so that they are properly mixed.

Separate it in a plate or a bowl and serve.

4. Vegan Tuna Salad

As absurd as it might sound, you can make this salad that tastes just like a tuna salad and is purely vegan all the way.

Ingredients

Chickpeas

Pepper

Soy sauce

Green onion

Yeast

Coriander

Mayonnaise

How To Prepare

Take a bowl and add the chickpeas to it. Use a spoon or a fork to mash them roughly.

Now add the other ingredients and mix them together to form a homogenous mixture.

Pair this mixture with bread slices to form nice sandwiches or with other vegetables for a tasty salad.

5. Tasty Tofu Wrap

Say the word “wrap” and your kids will be galloping towards you with salivating mouths. Here’s how to make a vegan one.

Ingredients

Peas

Red pepper

Baked Tofu

Flour roti or tortilla

Peanut sauce

How To Prepare

Open the roti or the tortilla completely. Spread the peanut sauce over it to form a nice base.

Now arrange the pieces of tofu, peas and pepper around it.

Fold the sides properly to keep the filling inside, and roll the wrap gently. For additional support to the base, use aluminium foil to wrap one side.

Healthy Vegan Snacks Recipe Ideas For Kids

While other kids might be gorging on delicious snacks, being vegan does not mean you can’t, too. With some crazy snack recipes, you can even double these up as vegan kids party food on certain occasions.

1. Walnut Raisin Balls

As easy as popping one in and munching on the delicious taste that these snack items have, and extremely easy to make as well.

Ingredients

Raisins

Walnuts

How To Prepare

Take the blender and add a substantial amount of walnuts and raisins to it.

Run the blender for as long as you want until the mixture becomes gooey and sticky.

Now simply roll small balls using the mixture and place them in the fridge to cool down.

2. Crunchy Tofu Bread

Pair this lovely crunchy tofu bread recipe with different sauces and the flavours will be too good to resist.

Ingredients

Tofu

Sesame oil

Pepper

Salt

Breadcrumbs

Wheat flour

Cornmeal

How To Prepare

Dry the tofu block and cut it in 16 pieces or so.

Take a bowl and add together salt, pepper, breadcrumbs, flour and cornmeal. Take some amount of it to cover a plate.

Coat the pieces of tofu with this mixture and place them in a separate plate.

Take a pan and place it on medium flame. Add oil to it and start frying the tofu pieces one by one until they get a brownish-golden colour. Sprinkle salt on the fried pieces and serve with sauces.

3. Vegan Lassi

Don’t rob your kids of the pleasure of chugging a lassi, with this awesome vegan alternative.

Ingredients

Soy yoghurt

Ground cumin

Rock salt

Ground cardamom

Cane sugar

Rosewater

Warm water

How To Prepare

Add all the ingredients together in a blender and run it for a while.

Depending on the flavour of the lassi, choose a particular fruit and add it to the lassi.

Run the blender again to form a nice puree and serve in a glass.

4. Nutritious Meatballs

Even though they may technically not be meatballs, they are quite filling and nutritious as a snack.

Ingredients

Oats

Peanut butter

Walnuts

Pumpkin seeds

Shredded coconut

Raisins

How To Prepare

Put together peanut butter, walnuts, pumpkin seeds and raisins in a blender to form a sticky mixture. Add the oats and coconut to it and run it again.

Roll balls from this mixture and place them in the fridge to solidify.

5. Vegan Fries

Does your kid love French fries as a finger food? Here’s the vegan version of the same.

Ingredients

Potatoes

Green onions

Paprika

Olive oil

Garlic

Onion

Salt

Pepper

How To Prepare

Take a pan and add oil to it along with onions and garlic to saute for a few minutes.

Follow it up by adding the potatoes and cook until they soften.

Finally, add the remaining ingredients to it and let it all cook for a few more minutes. Allow it to cool down, then serve.

Kid Friendly Vegan Dinner Recipe Ideas

Vegan dinners don’t have to be a boring affair, revolving around the same food items all over again. There are tons of varieties you can indulge in.

1. Vegan Chicken Nuggets

Yes, you too can enjoy the delicious taste of chicken nuggets with a simple vegan alternative recipe.

Ingredients

Tofu

Yeast

Black pepper

Salt

Mixed herbs

Garlic powder

Onion powder

Mustard

Soy milk

How To Prepare

Slice tofu in small pieces.

Put together spices, yeast, mustard, soymilk in a bowl and mix them until smooth.

Spread breadcrumbs in a plate. Dip the tofu pieces in the bowl and then cover them with breadcrumbs.

Fry the tofu until it is golden in colour and serve it with tasty sauces.

2. Black Bean Quesadillas

Bring a twist to your everyday dinner with this exotic looking and tasting dish.

Coat oil on the tortilla and spread the mixture on it. Place another tortilla over it.

Fry them on a pan for a few minutes until they are golden.

3. Vegan Pasta

All that cheese makes you miss your pasta? Try out this vegan alternative then.

Ingredients

Soy milk

Black pepper

Garlic

Nutmeg

Mustard

Lemon juice

Soy sauce

Yeast

Cashews

How To Prepare

Put all the ingredients together in a food processor and run it until the mixture is smooth.

Cook the pasta separately and pour this sauce over it while it is hot.

Combine some broccoli with it for added taste.

4. Pan-Fried Veggie Collection

If your kids are giving you a hard time with vegetables, present them with this fantastic preparation.

Ingredients

Olive oil

Black pepper

Salt

Red pepper

Green beans

Mushrooms

Sweet potatoes

How To Prepare

Saute mushrooms on a pan until they are golden brown. Put them aside.

In the same pan, saute pepper and green beans with some salt. Put them aside too.

Now roast potatoes in the pan on all sides. Add the previous ingredients in the pan again and cook for a few minutes before serving.

5. Japanese Fried Rice

If your kids love the usual fried rice, this vegan preparation will be even more nutritious in its comparison.

Ingredients

Brown rice

Water

Almonds

Spice mix

Vinegar

Soy sauce

Carrots

Broccoli

Tofu

Vegetable oil

How To Prepare

Fry the tofu in a pan and keep it aside.

Repeat the same with carrots and add them with the tofu. Follow it up with broccoli and add the tofu and carrots back to the pan, cooking them together.

Cook the brown rice separately and add it to the pan along with the previous ingredients. Pour vinegar and soy sauce to the mixture and mix it well.

Take this out and prior to serving, garnish with some almonds and spice mix.

Making kid-friendly vegan meals isn’t as difficult as it seems. Knowing the right recipes and the combinations to put together, you can carve out a new item for your child regularly and keep his appetite at its peak, while supporting his healthy development.

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